News

30. June 2015

Backing in filter engineering: School competition “GoIng & GoJob”

Over 30 pupils from ten schools took part in the school competition "GoIng & GoJob” hosted by the Düren association ANTalive (Angewandte Naturwissenschaften und Technik live erleben – Experiencing applied natural sciences and technology first hand). In mixed teams, they spent a week working together on fascinating tasks in regional enterprises. The four-man team at GKD – GEBR. KUFFERATH AG, consisting of Jens Valder, Julian Podzka, Lucas Driesers and Andreas Schmidt, built a filter system. At the closing presentations in the Sparkasse Düren, the GKD team won third place.

In the school competition “GoIng & GoJob”, upper secondary level pupils work on a project from the real world of vocational practice in order to gather some early practical experience. At GKD, four pupils took on the challenge of building a filter system for the filtration of different sizes of particulate matter. To do this, they had to perform tests and calculations – with the support of GKD employees – to find out which filter meshes were suitable for the different particle sizes and how different mesh openings affected particle retention. The basis was a kit with the materials required to filter the three different particle sizes. The pupils’ first step was to brainstorm ideas and develop a concept of how they were going to approach the task. Using an optical microscope, they established the exact particle sizes and then selected suitable mesh types. Square mesh types with mesh openings of 2.0 and 4.2 millimetres proved to be the best solution. Once the meshes were installed into filter inserts, their task was completed. Such fine filters are deployed, for example, in air particle filter systems, in fine particulate air filters or in gas filtration. The jury of four acknowledged the GKD pupils’ achievement by awarding them a prestigious third place. The verdict on both sides was correspondingly positive: the pupils were thrilled to have gained fascinating insights into an internationally operating company; and GKD was thoroughly impressed by the motivation and potential of the young lads. A perfect outcome to ensure the technology company’s renewed support of this school competition next year.